


diet coke and the cute cashier

by ragingbowner



Category: Runaways (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Slow Burn, actual clueless karolina is a mess and doesn't know how to flirt with girls, literally the slowest of slowburns, useless lesbian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 17:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16937316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragingbowner/pseuds/ragingbowner
Summary: “I should really learn your name,” the cute cashier says as she scans Karolina’s items, “you can be the customer I look forward to seeing whenever I have a night shift. Seeing you will make my night.”Karolina can literally feel herself short circuit. “Oh.”





	diet coke and the cute cashier

In her defense, Karolina didn’t plan to go to _Runaway’s_ four times in one night, but some things just _happen_.

 

Karolina loves living in a college town sometimes. Especially when there’s a coffee shop mini mart hybrid store on campus that’s open until one am only a five minute walk away from her dorm. Everything is a little overpriced, but for the convenience, it’s worth it.

 

It’s a chilly Saturday night, and Karolina lets out a breath as she steps foot into the heated interior of _Runaway’s_ , her hands shoved into the pocket of her hoodie. She navigates through the familiar store, grabbing a toothbrush and some q-tips before quickly making her way towards the queue. There’s only one cashier working tonight, but it’s not too busy anyways. A girl in a _Runaway’s_ signature blue shirt and a black apron. She approaches the register, holding out the barcodes of her items to make scanning a little easier for the cashier.

 

“How’s your night?”

 

“Good.”

 

“Card?”

 

Karolina nods and swipes her card through the reader.

 

“Have a nice night.”

 

She shoves the toothbrush into her jacket pocket and leaves quietly, preparing herself for the short walk back to her dorm.

 

Halfway back, she runs into Gert, who’s headed to _Runaway’s_ , and figures she might as well join her. She's not in a rush anyways.

 

The second visit is similar. Karolina grabs some toothpaste and Gert grabs, well whatever she grabs. By the time she returns to the queue, Gert is already by the exit waiting for her. Karolina sighs, absentmindedly looking at the cashier as she waits. _Oh. She’s kinda cute_. Karolina thinks.

 

“How’s your night?” the cute cashier asks, scanning Karolina’s items.

 

“Still good.”

 

She swipes her card and the cashier laughs a little bit. Karolina gives the cashier an awkward smile.

 

“Have a nice night.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

The walk back to the dorm is uneventful. Gert asks her about how her critical gender studies midterm went and Karolina asks about her sociology project, regular stuff. They go their separate ways once they reach the second floor of the residential hall, since Gert lived on the third floor, and Karolina mentally prepares herself to work on her design project.

 

Three hours later, it’s half past midnight and Karolina thinks she deserves a treat for finishing her project before four am. She pulls her hoodie back on and grabs her keys before heading back to _Runaway’s_.

 

Karolina makes her way to the back of the store, grabbing a pint of ice cream from the freezer. Like clockwork, she’s back in line and then cute cashier girl is checking out her items.

 

“Still doing good?”

 

“No,” Karolina deadpans, “not since an hour ago.”

 

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

 

Karolina shrugs and swipes her card.

 

“Have a nice night!”

 

Just as Karolina’s about to exit the store, a group of girls walk in, obviously high off their asses. She pauses for a minute, and then realizes they’re from her event planning club. They wave to her as they enter and she follows them back in, watching them try to decide between two different boxes of cookies.

 

“I want both but I can’t pay for itttttt,” the most stoned one whines.

 

Karolina laughs and takes both boxes from the girl.

 

“I’ll pay for them.”

 

At this point, it’s ten minutes until closing and there’s no queue anymore, so Karolina makes her way straight to the register. The cute girl smiles at her, and scans her items. Karolina swipes her card and then hands the boxes to her friends, who are looking at her like she just saved their lives.

 

“Have a nice night,” cute girl adds.

 

“You too.”

 

-

 

Karolina will admit that she goes to _Runaway’s_ way more than she should, but honestly she doesn’t pay attention. Her visits aren’t super notable, so who can blame her?

 

She comes back late Friday night with Chase. He wanted a snack and didn’t want to go alone. Honestly, she worried their friendship would get weird after he confessed his feelings to her and she came out as a lesbian, but he was surprisingly accepting and they’re still good friends now, which is always a plus. She grabs a Diet Coke from the fridge and a pack of Mamba from the candy shelf as she heads back to the front of the store. Chase is browsing the “ready to go” food options so she gets into the queue. It takes her a second to realize that the cashier is the same cute girl from last week. _Oh. She’s not just kinda cute. She’s_ really _cute._ Karolina thinks. The girl smiles at her as she approaches.

 

“I should really learn your name,” the cute cashier says as she scans Karolina’s items, “you can be the customer I look forward to seeing whenever I have a night shift. Seeing you will make my night.”

 

Karolina can literally feel herself short circuit. “Oh.”

 

“I know it’s a lot of pressure,” the girl laughs, as Karolina swipes her card.

 

“I guess I have to come here every night now.”

 

“Don’t worry, I don’t have another night shift for awhile. So, what’s your name?”

 

“I’m Karolina. What’s your name?”

 

The girl moves her hair and her apron so that Karolina can see her nametag.

 

 _Nico_.

 

“Have a nice night.”

 

Karolina smiles at Nico and Nico smiles back. She makes her way to the side so that Chase can check out. She notices that Nico just gives Chase the regular “Card? Have a nice day” fare that every other cashier at _Runaway’s_ gives. Chase notices too, because on their walk back to the dorms, he nudges her and teasingly asks “What’s her name again?”

 

Karolina blushes and shoves him. “Her name is Nico.”

 

-

Karolina sees Nico again on Tuesday. She got less than two hours of sleep last night because she had not one but TWO essays due this morning, one for her critical gender studies class and one for her literature class. In all honesty, she’s exhausted and decides to skip her last class of the day in favor of a nap. She wakes up groggy and in need of caffeine and sugar.

 

It’s the first time Karolina’s seen her in the daylight, actually. _Runaway’s_ is pretty crowded, and there’s an actual queue when Karolina joins the line with yet another Diet Coke in hand. Nico’s working and luckily her register opens up before the other cashier’s. Nico noticeably perks up as she approaches the register and Karolina can’t help but feel warm.

 

“How’re you doing?” Nico asks, smiling as she checks out her items.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Every time I ask, you say you’re just okay.”

 

Karolina watches the expression on Nico’s face mold into a frown. _Fuck, she’s cute when she’s worried_.

 

“I had two papers due today aha.”

 

“Did you finish them?” Nico seems genuinely interested in whether she finished her essays and Karolina can’t help but feel endeared.

 

“Um. Sorta! I’m not sure what I wrote to be completely honest but I finished it!”

 

“At least you finished it!” Nico smiles again. “Have a nice day!”

 

Karolina smiles at her and nods her head before leaving.

 

She comes back an hour later with her project partner, Destiny, who didn’t want to go alone. Karolina grabs another Diet Coke before getting into the queue. She notes that cute _Runaway’s_ girl, wait, _Nico_ , is stocking the pastry case. Karolina won’t deny that she’s a little disappointed, but she’s not gonna wait around like a creep. She lets the other cashier check out her items, and she orders herself a hot chocolate.

 

Destiny is waiting off to the side, her hands empty despite asking Karolina to come with her to get snacks. Karolina goes to join her, and conveniently, Nico decides to pop her head up from behind the counter. She turns to Karolina as she checks out the next person in line.

 

“You’re back.”

 

“Aha, yeah, I drink a lot of Diet Coke. I’m just, really tired.”

 

“You should take a nap!”

 

“Remember when I came in here earlier? That was me after a nap.”

 

Nico breaks their conversation for a minute to ask the customer for their card, but quickly jumps back into their established cadence.

 

“Aw, well I hope you feel better!”

 

Nico turns her attention towards the next customer as Destiny turns to Karolina.

 

“I should really get something, but I don’t know what to get,” Destiny sighs.

 

“Please eat.”

 

Nico turns from her customer, some freshman boy, to look at Karolina.

 

“Do you want any recommendations?”

 

“Oh, no thanks. But thanks though,” Destiny chirps in.

 

Karolina hears her name being called at the drinks counter, smiles at Nico, and starts to make her way over to her hot chocolate.

 

“Have a nice day!” Nico calls after her.

 

Karolina can feel herself stop breathing. She pulls out her phone and types out a quick message to the group chat.

 

 **actual sunshine:** so. I think I have a crush.

 **bigmouth:** on runaway’s girl?

 **actual sunshine:**....yes

 **arsenic:** cute! :P

 **princess power:** awww karoooooooooooo

 

Karolina takes a large sip of her hot chocolate. She lets it sink in that she’s caught _feelings_ for a probably straight girl. She sighs.

 

 _God being gay is hard. Why does Nico have to be so_ nice _and_ cute _._

 

**Author's Note:**

> this may or may not be a ripoff of my love life as of now. lowkey these things may or may not have happened to me lmao. anyways. some deanoru for y'all!! enjoy the gay :)
> 
> (i promise everyone else will be relevant later)


End file.
